The Sound of a Heart Breaking
by SuicideMonday
Summary: If you love someone enough, can you bring them back? Russia x China


_**AN: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm not happy with this oneshot but I wanted to post something before I continue to drown myself in college applications. XD**_

Hope you Enjoy!

Please read and review! (Come on guys, only one of the 6 people that have favorited this story so far have reviewed. If you like it enough to favorite it, can't you drop me a line and review? XP)

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Axis Powers Hetalia. ;_;**_

* * *

_What he has is not enough_

_What he has lost he craves_

_What's left but to risk everything?_

_Pray that these actions, tears, emotions bring you back to me_

_These scars would surely tear him apart._

_

* * *

_

_**The recent collapse of China's economy has left the nation in a panic. Government officials and police officers are doing their best to control the riots that have been breaking out across the country. The future of China remains a mystery. Further information will be reported when known.**_

_**-News Headline**_

* * *

Ivan stared at Yao's unmoving figure, his ebony hair splayed out around his face, a stark contrast to the white sheets. He clenched his fists in frustration. Yao's body seemed even smaller than usual due to the hospital setting. He looked so vulnerable, lying there so quietly in the plain white sheets of the hospital bed. While others would say that Yao looked peaceful, Ivan found his unconscious state unnerving. He could hardly believe the great nation could be reduced to a comatose body that showed no signs of waking up for the past month.

The turmoil among his people had caused Yao to collapse. Ivan found him unconscious in his home, and quickly brought him to the hospital. The doctors said he had fallen into a coma-like state and only time would tell when Yao would wake up, if ever. Disbelief, then shock, settled on Ivan's face.

For the first two weeks Ivan refused to leave his side, scaring away the doctors and nurses that attempted to make him leave. It took the combined efforts of America, France, and Germany to drag him out of Yao's hospital room. The incident resulted in a number of broken chairs and tables, a black eye for America, a broken wrist for France, and a bruised neck for Germany.

After that incident, Ivan begrudgingly returned to his duties as a nation, but visited Yao everyday during visiting hours. He stayed as long as the strict hours allowed, bringing sunflowers and other gifts in hopes of breaking Yao's sleep. Everyday, he would whisper his love into Yao's ears and update him on the world's daily events. Yet after each attempt, Yao showed no signs of hearing him. He continued to sleep and Ivan briefly wondered if he was able to dream, if he was in any pain. Each day, Ivan's attempts at awakening the Chinese nation went unacknowledged.

Sitting next to Yao's bed, Ivan could only look at the smaller nation sadly.

"Please wake up soon Yao."

Would it be selfish to say that he needed him? That he loved him the most? What was the worst that could happen if he said he could care less what happened to his people?

* * *

Just about to make his way into Yao's ward, Ivan saw a doctor step out from the door. The doctor looked up in shock, placing his hand over his heart to calm himself. Quickly shooting his eyes to the left and right, he made his way nervously towards the Russian man. Ivan quickly closed the distance between them, hope glistening in his eyes. The doctor coughed nervously into his hand and began, fiddling with his tie as he spoke.

"Mr. Bravinski, it would appear that the patient has awoken but ----"

Ivan's brain stopped at 'awoken'. Shoving the doctor aside, he tore open the door, rushing inside as quickly as possible. His heart was pounding in his ears. Ivan was desperate to see Yao awake from his coma, for Yao to smile at him and tell him how silly it was for him to be worrying so much. About to run towards Yao and take him in his arms, Ivan's voice died in the air. His feet stopped just a foot away from the door.

"Yao! ----- "

His eyes.

Back propped against the wall of the bed, Yao looked like a sad porcelain doll. His face made no reaction to the loud slamming of the door or Ivan's shout. He continued to stare blankly ahead, amber eyes focusing on nothing.

All hope on Ivan's face died. Replacing that hope was fear; a cold sweat broke out on Ivan's face. Taking a step back in shock, Ivan held the side of the door for support. His body shook with overwhelming emotions, bouncing back and forth, looking for a way out.

Fear.

Confusion.

Why did it suddenly feel like the hospital had gone silent?

His frame still shaking as he turned, Ivan reached out and grabbed the doctor by his coat. Desperatly shaking him, he shouted.

"What did you do to him!? Fix this!!"

Still manhandling the doctor, tears began to run down Ivan's face. His voice cracked as he tried to speak. His words were full of hurt and despair.

"What's wrong with Yao?"

His voice was barely above a whisper, hard to decipher between the tears and hiccups. Fingers slipping from the stunned doctor's coat, Ivan fell to the ground. His knees hit the floor with a soft 'thunk' and Ivan stared at the white tiles in shock, willing everything to all be a dream.

Yao was awake but his soul was missing.

* * *

_Hm, hm hm, hm, hmmm, hm, hm~_

The perky song danced in the air, attempting to change the atmosphere with its joyful tune.

Humming the melody, Ivan continued to brush Yao's hair. He took particular care to part the raven locks with his fingers, before running the comb through them. Cutting off his song, he playfully scolded Yao.

"Yao Yao! You need to take better care of your hair! It'll get dull if you don't comb it!"

Silence.

Ivan's voice faltered a bit before he continued.

"You're lucky I noticed Yao Yao!" Glancing at the locks, he smiled. "There! All nice and shiny!"

Ivan continued to gush and coo over Yao's hair as Yao made no response. He sat quietly in the chair Ivan had placed in the middle of the room as Ivan styled his hair. Since he had woken up, Yao had yet to make a single sound. His normally bright eyes had been reduced to foggy amber, his lips set in a permanent soft frown.

Finishing with the comb, Ivan pulled out a red ribbon from his pocket and tied Yao's hair in its usual style. He ignored the lack of movement from his companion, the absence of words. Instead, he tryed to imagine what Yao would say.

'_Aiyah! Stop playing with my hair, aru!'_

Yao would slap his hand away and turn his head, a pretty blush covering his face. He would eventually let Ivan brush his hair because Ivan would continue to beg until Yao relented.

Glancing at what was left of Yao; Ivan tried to not break down.

* * *

_**China's economy does not appear to be improving**_

_**-An update from the News Headlines.**_

* * *

Francis' voice whispered in Ivan's mind.

"_Mon amour~ Forget about China. He is but a lost cause! You do nothing but hurt yourself by staying by his side!" _

His tone was saccharine-sweet but his words were empty. Outwardly, he looked concerned, but he truly only had selfish goals on his mind. France was putting on a show for his own personal gain. Ivan refused to acknowledge such petty attempts

Replacing the Frenchmen's voice was Alfred.

"_Oi! Russia! You need to get out more! Spend some time in the sun!"_

That cheery façade. He wanted to punch the American in the face.

And so it continued. Nation after nation pleaded with Ivan to move on. Each brought fake tears and their own words of condolence. But Ivan knew they were all just after the weakened nation, waiting for the protection Ivan provided to leave. They were all whispering behind his back, gossiping over his foolishness.

"_Have you seen Russia? He's completely smitten with that broken nation!"_

_"Such a pity. It's useless to try to save China."_

"_How foolish."_

"_I guess that old man's time has come."_

"_Do you think China's land will be up for grabs?"_

_"Sh! Russia will hear you!"_

Ivan blocked out their mocking words. The other nations were a bunch of hypocrites! They did this to his Yao! Why offer words of sorrow when one could offer help? None of them had come to visit Yao after they heard the news, only quickly talking to Ivan, avoiding even looking at the Chinese nation. Their actions made Ivan's blood boil.

Ivan's free hand fisted around Yao's hair in anger. Leaning down to the sitting man, Ivan caressed Yao's cheek before whispering in his ear. He smiled gently as he spoke.

"Don't worry Yao; no one will take you away from me."

A dark look shadowed over Ivan's face. If Yao could see it, his heart would surely break.

* * *

The days began to blur. Ivan had stolen Yao from the hospital and locked them both in his house. He was sick of hearing the other nation's words, refused to be surrounded by their pity any longer. He aslo belived that Yao was too vunerable at the hospital, and would be protected better at Ivan's home. Refusing to see any visitors, Ivan completely ignored his responsibilities to his country and centered his life on Yao.

Pampering the small man, he continued to hope that his efforts would bring the Yao he remembered back.

Yao's state remained the same while weariness and fatigue were making themselves known on Ivan's face and overall demeanor. Ivan wondered if his current emotions were similar to those that Belarus felt for him. Ivan filled the silence between Yao and him with endless talking.

"_Yao? Please tell me who did this. I'll kill them all. Just for you."_

"_Are you mad at me Yao? Is that why you are not speaking?"_

"_Aren't you hungry Yao? I'll make you anything."_

_"Look at the sunflowers Yao! They are nice, da?"_

How long could the physical representation of the country last when the country itself was on the very brink of falling apart?

* * *

_**Nations from all over the world are currently discussing what actions should be taken in regards to what seems to be the collapse of the Chinese government.**_

_**-An update from the News Headlines. **_

* * *

Vodka became his only source of comfort. When he drank he worried less, could believe that things would turn out okay.

The number of bottles continued to pile up.

Ivan wondered how long his vodka supply would last. Picking up an almost empty bottle, Ivan swished the contests. He stared lazily at the clear substance as it swirled around in the bottle. Yao had never condoned his drinking habits, slapping Ivan's head in anger each time he caught sight of the glass bottle. Glancing past the bottle to Yao's still figure, his eyes sobered slightly.

'_Ivan! Drinking is so unhealthy, aru! I don't care if it is Russian water!'_

Ivan laughed dryly. He would give anything to have Yao back. What good was the comfort of vodka compared to warm arms?

Throwing the bottle to the floor, he stumbled towards Yao. Reaching forward with his hand, he moved ebony locks from Yao's face.

Nothing.

Holding his breath, Ivan tilted his head and kissed Yao. Desperate for a reaction, he cupped Yao's face with his large hand, tilting Yao's head to get better access to his lips. Tears began to slip down Ivan's face, falling onto Yao's. He would be content with anything, any small sign that his Yao was still with him. Adding more force to the kiss, Ivan held Yao close, his vision swimming with tears.

_Please._

Ivan slipped his tongue into Yao's mouth.

_Why did you take him away from me?_

Needing to breath, Ivan drew back, his eyes still closed.

_This is the one thing I ask of this world._

Slowly opening his eyes, Ivan saw no change in Yao. His eyes stared straight through him, making him feel invisible. Yao didn't return his kiss, didn't close the distance between them and wrap his arms around Ivan, tangling his fingers into silvery blond hair.

Ivan was at a lost at what to do next.

What did he have left to hold onto?

_Knock. Knock._

Ivan turned his head to the door. With great caution the door slowly opened. Toris stood before Ivan, nervous determination on his face. Taking a few steps into the room, Toris took in the numerous vodka bottles and the overall chaos in the room. Sighing mostly to himself, he began to pick up the bottles.

Ivan couldn't process the sudden appearance of Toris. He wondered if the man in front of his was really there. Toris, straitening his body and delicately holding a number of vodka bottles, stared at Ivan. He looked like a nervous wreck, one that hadn't slept for days and looked years older from stress. Not even war and political struggles in Russia had ever caused Ivan to look like this. Toris doubted that Ivan had even been outside since he locked himself in his room with Yao. Turning to glace at Yao he could not help but pity both of them. Even like this Yao was still beautiful, but Toris could see the toll it was taking on Ivan. Remembering why he was visiting Ivan, Toris began to speak.

"Mr. Russia, it would be in the best interest to your health if you slept a bit. You look very tired. I could clean the room up for you. And maybe you could go outside and get some fresh air…?"

Toris' voice trailed off. Ivan stared at Lithuania questionably. What was he up to? Turning back to Yao, Ivan deemed Toris unimportant. It didn't matter if he was really there or not.

Seeing Ivan start to turn his back to him, Toris made a surprised noise in the back of his throat and scrambled for words.

"Mr. Russia! If you keep spending time with China you're going to break!"

Toris was truly concerned. The world would not be able to handle the collapse of two nations.

Ivan froze, his hands clenched at the words. Vision swimming with red anger, he whispered.

"Get out."

Toris tried again, ignoring the warning.

"I'm merely worried…."

"I SAID GET OUT!!!!"

Ivan's loud voice shook the walls. Jumping at Ivan voice, Toris ran toward the door, dropping a few vodka bottles, and slammed the door behind him.

Ivan took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as it recovered from yelling. Falling into his bed in exhaustion, Ivan turned his head to face Yao.

_You can't see me, can you?_

Fighting against it for as long as possible, Ivan fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

_He was dreaming._

_It was a field of sunflowers. Off in the distance he could make out a faint figure._

_Walking slowly at first, and then breaking into a run, Ivan made his way towards the mysterious figure._

_Reaching out his arm in hopes of closing the distance, Ivan continued to run, sunflowers brushing against his body with each step._

_(Why was it taking so long to close the distance?)_

_He wanted to call out a name so he could see the face of the mystifying….man? woman? _

_(Who was it?)_

_The wind blew._

_Yellow petals floated in the air._

_The figure slowly turned around._

_Ivan's eyes widened._

_Yao._

_Legs slowing, Ivan stared at Yao._

_He was wearing yellow, matching the sunflowers._

_(Why did he look so sad?)_

_Yao looked up at Ivan, a sad smile on his face. He looked like he wanted to say so much, but instead remained quiet._

_Tears slid down Yao's face._

_(Don't cry) _

_Walking up to Ivan, Yao reached up and ruffled Ivan's hair, staring at the confused look in Ivan's amethyst purple eyes. The tears continued to slide down Yao's face but he made no attempt to brush them aside._

_(I never want to see your tears unless they're tears of happiness)_

_Standing on his toes to increase his height, Yao kissed Ivan's lips._

_(Why does it feel like---)_

_The kiss was sweet and tender, quick, but it was too short. _

_Yao drew back._

_(You're saying goodbye?)_

_The look in Yao's eyes was acceptance._

_Love._

_The sunflowers were beginning to disappear._

_(I love you too.)_

_Yao turned to walk away._

_Ivan panicked._

_Why couldn't he speak?_

_Legs frozen in place, Ivan could only look on as Yao was disappearing from his sight._

_(So please)_

_The sunflowers continued to vanish._

_(Don't)_

_He could no longer see Yao._

_(Leave.)_

_Light._

_He was all alone in an empty field._

* * *

Bolting awake, Ivan found that at some point he had fallen off the bed and onto the floor. Quickly getting up, panic fueled his movements. He didn't even notice the tears that were running down his face. He turned the chair were Yao usually sat.

Empty.

Yao.

Where was he?

Searching the room, Ivan could find no trace of Yao. Fear seized his system.

No.

**No.**

**No-No-No-No-No-No-No -No!**

This couldn't be happening.

Yao was gone.

* * *

_**It has been decided that it is best that China be split among The United States, England, and France, until the chaos in China has been settled. These three countries will provide China with the support it needs through these trying times.**_

_**-An update from the News Headlines.**_

* * *

Ivan stared at Alfred, Arthur, and Francis in anger. None of the three even pretended to look guilty. Each face was completely serious, waiting for Ivan's next move. Ivan spoke.

"What have you---!"

Arthur cut him off.

"It was for the best."

Reaching to punch Arthur, Ivan was held back by Alfred. Alfred had rushed towards him when he saw Ivan clench his fist. Struggling in the American's grip, Ivan spit out his words.

"Bastard!"

His Yao, taken away by these greedy bastards…

Alfred loosened his grip when he felt Ivan falling to the floor. The weight of the world without Yao was too great.

Arthur looked down at Ivan.

Cold. Condescending. Uncaring.

Arthur sighed in exasperation. This was a waste of time. Throwing one last look at Ivan, he spoke.

"This is the way the world works Russia, you need to stop acting like a child."

Pausing for a second, as if contemplating his thoughts, Arthur casually threw in his next remark.

"If you aren't careful, you'll be next Russia."

The three walked away.

Ivan didn't even have the energy to look up.

What good was he if he couldn't even protect the one closest to him?

He was alone again.

_He had lost himself to insanity many times_

_Yet why did this time_

_Feel like the worse?_


End file.
